DAYTONA BEACH – I hadn’t heard a lot about this part of Florida prior to my trip. I knew the usual clichés, of course; the driving on the beach, the bikers, the Daytona (duh) 500 car race. None of it got me all jazzed up, to be honest. But prior to this trip for Star Travel I read about some cool spots to enjoy nature. And I knew I’d love the beach and the small amusement park. Some folks turn up their noses but I’ve always taken delight in downscale, casual places that sell cotton candy and corn dogs and Read more
food
PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND – Dave Wilmer, the owner of the Inn at Bay Fortune, is credited by many as being the guy who, along with chef Michael Smith, turned PEI from food afterthought to food sensation. His inn is great; with nice, warm and large rooms, most with fireplaces. And it sits on a pretty stretch of property overlooking a large bay, with big trees and a big lawn and large gardens ablaze with orange and yellow nasturtiums, pink sedum and other flowers. I learned later why the nasturtiums when a group of them arrived on my charcuterie plate at Read more
PROVINCETOWN, MASSACHUSETTS – A great way to get to a great destination. Last time I was on Cape Cod, back about 28 years ago, my wife and I drove from Boston to Hyannisport and then up to Provincetown. Short on time for this trip, we opted for the fast ferry from downtown Boston to Provincetown. It’s a big boat and takes only 90 minutes to make the crossing, passing through the harbor islands I mentioned in a recent blog. The price is just $87 return for an adult. They have a concierge on the second deck who can provide maps, Read more
BOSTON – I was chatting with a woman at the reception desk at the oh-so-sleek Revere Hotel here and asked about Charlie’s Sandwich Shoppe. “It’s great,” she said. “And it’s just down the street.” She told me a female guest asked a couple years ago about a place to get lunch and that she recommended Charlie’s. “The woman asked if there would be a line and I said I didn’t think so. She was really worried about a line-up to get in but I said it wouldn’t be bad. “She came back later and said, “You said there wouldn’t be Read more
BOSTON – There’s probably no better place to find out why America exists. This is the birthplace of the United States in many ways, the place where the Boston Tea Party took place and where Paul Revere (more on that later) rode from to warn of an attack by the redcoats (not “the British”; more on that later, too). And they make it easy to take a Freedom Trail tour and learn about the various historic spots along the way. I had a tour with Emily, dressed as an old-time citizen named Mehitable Dawes. Emily showed us the Granary Burial Read more
